Big Sean Talks Making Fake Magazine Covers & Taking Advice From Kanye

Big Sean shut down a Footaction in Houston this weekend to promote his latest collaboration with Adidas.

The Detroit Player and G.O.O.D. Music emcee took the time to personally meet hundreds of his fans during NBA All Star Weekend.

Sean was very personable, exchanging short conversations with his young fans, addressing them by name, dishing out hugs and even signing autographs on everything from CDs, flyers and shoes, to hats, jackets and more.

Sean even had Rico the lion in attendance! This prompted a conversation about the Harlem Shake craze: the latest viral video phenomenon where people dance or go crazy and is usually started off with someone in a mask or costume.

We tried to get Sean to partake in the phenomenon, but his management team wanted no part!

What we did get was the 411 on his upcoming album Hall Of Fame, what it’s like taking advice from Kanye West and No ID, and a story about how he used to make fake magazine covers! Check it out below.

What was it like the first time you played Kanye West cuts from your upcoming album?

He was really impressed. He was really surprised and taken aback. I played them for him early on, so we developed them way more now. So he’s cool and with it a hundred percent. He’s on there and we have a lot of good features on the album.

Has Kanye ever told you to change some of the songs that you didn’t necessarily want to change?

Oh yeah! He’s always saying that type of stuff. It’s crazy because the stuff I think he going to like, sometimes he doesn’t like. Then stuff I think I know he’s going to hate, he likes. It’s always a surprise with him. He only really told me to change one or two songs and I changed them a while ago. Then I added more songs – so there is going to be some good quality.

How is it now that you’re getting input on your music, versus just going into the studio and doing your own thing?

You got to be willing to listen and learn from the OGs. I sit and discuss ideas with people like NO ID and Kanye. These are guys who make classic albums, with Jay-Z, Common, Nas and themselves. So just to get that type of coaching, you got to be smart enough to listen. That’s one of the things I’ve noticed. A lot of people are not smart enough to listen sometimes. Also you can’t compromise what you believe in either. If you really believe in something, you just got to go all the way with it. I’ve learned through trial and error and mistakes, to always listen with your heart and always go with your gut instincts, because you’re going to ride or die by what you live by – it’s always a pleasure.

You were recently featured on the cover of XXL, does that still excite you and what is it like walking by the newsstands and seeing your face on the cover of a magazine?

Incredible. I’ve been on the XXL cover twice, because I was on the Freshman 10 and now my solo cover.

But there is a big difference between the Freshmen 10 cover and your solo cover.

It’s incredible how much love XXL has shown. Even before the Freshman 10 cover. It is surreal. It’s always fresh seeing that type of stuff. I’ve been on the cover of the Source and XXL and every time it’s surreal.

It’s funny because when I was younger we used to make fake Source covers and fake XXL covers and put our face on it. I’m not really on Facebook too much, but when I went on there, one of my friends posted a comment saying, ‘I remember when you posted this fake cover on here’ and then they posted the real one and it was like, damn!